


Fighting Back

by Notamorningperson88



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-26
Updated: 2020-05-26
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:34:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 17,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24385963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Notamorningperson88/pseuds/Notamorningperson88
Summary: It's been ten years since the rise of the Emperor Palpatine. The Rebel Alliance has been slowly gathering its forces, and is ready to engage with the Empire. The Jedi, weakened from the Clone Wars, have regrouped and rebuilt, but are now called to take up the mantle of soldiers once more to defeat the Empire and the Sith, and bring peace to the galaxy once again.
Relationships: Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker
Comments: 1
Kudos: 15





	1. Chapter 1

"Concentrate, younglings. If you let the Force flow through you, if you truly put your faith in it, then you will be able to achieve what you make think is impossible."

The sun-lit room of the New Jedi Temple was filled with aspiring Jedi-to-be. Ranging from Tholothians to humans to Pantorans, there were more younglings now than he could remember there being at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.

The Jedi flourished. Due to the severe loss of Jedi during the Clone Wars, the Council voted to abolish the requirement that only young children could be admitted into the ranks of the Jedi. Sadly, though, attachments were still heavily stigmatized in the Order.

The rebellion, led by the valiant Bail Organa, the brave and compassionate Mon Mothma, and the fearless Padme Amidala, grew stronger every day, much to the ire of Emperor Palpatine. The Jedi helped out where the rebellion when they could, but while they focused on expanding their numbers, they could do very little. The Jedi, pride wounded and hubris exposed, threw down the title of generals and took up the mantles of keepers of the peace. They would frequently send aid mission to planets affected by the Clone Wars and the many scuffles between rebels and the Empire. During those missions, they often found Force-sensitive younglings that were taken in and trained, no matter the age.

"Master Skywalker! I can't do it!" A female Cerean named Siara called out in frustration, letting the lightsaber fizzle out. 

Anakin smiled at the little girl. "Patience, young one. You will get it in time.

Siara sighs and goes back to trying to deflect the many blaster bolts firing at her.

"Skywalker." Kit Fisto's voice sounded from the comm on his arm. Kit's recovery from his encounter with the Sith was a lengthy one, but he was doing better than ever, "You're late."

"Shit, I'll be right there." 

Anakin glances at the younglings who were caught up in their katas.

"I have to go, younglings. Council meeting. How fun." He says sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

They giggled at his antics, before returning to their work. He raised his commlink to his mouth and contacts their clan leader, Master Kiyer.

"Master Kiyer, unfortunately, the Council calls."

"Very well, Master Skywalker. I'll be right there."

Anakin ended the transmission and headed towards the Council Chambers. He soon arrived, and the doors to the Council Chambers slid open.

"Late, you are!" Yoda says immediately, gazing up at the man as he walked in.

Anakin blushes. "Sorry Master."

Plo, Aayla, Kit, and Obi-Wan smile at Anakin. Gone was the mistrust of the old Jedi Council. In fact, he had even befriended many of them.

"A development, there has been." Yoda announces.

"A development?" Aayla asks, brows furrowing. 

Yoda nodded as Mace elaborated, "The Rebel Alliance has been gathering more and more allies and recruits, as you know. Well, they just dealt their first major blow to the Empire."

"A major blow indeed," Stass Allie's hologram sounded, "The rebels have finally advanced into the Mid Rim."

"The Mid Rim?" Plo Koon asked, threading his fingers together, "But the Empire blockaded nearly every Mid Rim planet that bordered the Outer Rim. They haven't allowed the rebels to make any leeway into the galaxy."

"That is why this is a crucial moment for them," Mace responds. He tapped on a button on his chair, and the lights dimmed. A hologram of the galaxy appeared before them; the Outer Rim shaded a light blue signifying it being controlled by the Rebel Alliance, and the Mid Rim, Inner Rim, and Core all being shaded a dark red for Imperial control. Noticeably, Naboo, a Mid Rim planet, glowed with blue and red hues. "As you can see, the planet of Naboo is currently under siege. This is a planet of vital importance to the Empire."

"Naboo?" Anakin asked, eyes wide, "As in Padme's home planet? And Palpatine's?"

Yoda nodded in confirmation, "Yes, the same. Under strict guard, it was, by order of the Emperor himself. A devastating loss, this will be, if lose control of his own home world, he does."

"The Rebel Alliance has reached out to us as well. According to them, Queen Kylantha is a rebel sympathizer and she has been planning to secede from the Empire ever since its rise. The rebels have requested our assistance in helping Queen Kylantha liberate her planet." Oppo Rancisis hissed out, his snake-like tongue flicking occasionally.

"We have not actively engaged with the Empire for nearly ten years." Ki-Adi added, frowning, "Would it be wise to alert them of our presence?"

"Palpatine knows we're alive, there is no doubt about that." Obi-Wan told the Cerean, stroking his beard.

"Yes, Palpatine is a smart man. He knows better than to assume we would quietly die out as he ruled the galaxy with an iron fist." Luminara said, hologram flickering.

"Whether or not Palpatine knows of our continued existence is not the question here. The question is are we ready to declare that our allegiance is with the Rebel Alliance and are we ready to fight the Empire and all of its might?" Kit said plainly, gazing around the room as he spoke.

Silence enveloped the twelve Jedi Masters as they contemplated Kit's words.

"I believe it is time." Aayla announced first.

"As do I." Anakin followed.

"I'm not sure whether this is the wisest decision." Ki-Adi said hesitantly, "But this may be our chance to remove Palpatine from power and restore peace and order to the galaxy."

"Is everyone in agreement?" Mace's eyes swept over the other eleven masters. He glanced beside him to Yoda, who only nodded at him to continue, "Very well. The time has come to reveal ourselves to the rest of the galaxy."


	2. Chapter 2

_"...I won't leave you! Not this time..."_

_"...Then you will die."_

A soft sigh left her lips as she opened her eyes. The courtyard of the Jedi Temple thrived with flora and fauna; winged beasts flew about, perching on the branches of the exotic plants. Flowers and vines decorated the walls of the Temple, but the courtyard was clean and tidy. It was a beacon of Light, pure and unadulterated Light. She never remembered the Jedi Temple on Coruscant feeling like this.

In the middle of the courtyard was a gigantic and colorful tree. It reached high in the sky, it's branches branching out and weeping down, almost as if it was an umbrella or a cover of some sorts. It's bright pink leaves made it a favorite among the Jedi, and many masters came here to meditate. It was the very reason she came to the tree, and the very same reason why she was now perched in one of the tree branches.

"Enjoying yourself up there?" a deep voice called from down below. Ahsoka peaked down to find the identity of the voice.

"Very much so," she said with a small smile, "Do you wish to join me, Master Plo?"

Plo Koon crossed his arms, "Now, little 'Soka, you know I am not as young as I used to be."

Ahsoka rolled her eyes, and patted a spot on the tree branch next to her. Shaking his head, Plo used to the Force to propel himself onto the branch. He landed gracefully by her side, and carefully took a criss-cross position.

"Is it happening again?" the wizened Jedi Master asked, staring at the Togruta. It wasn't clear by the mask and respirator, but Ahsoka knew him well enough that she could tell he was worried for her.

She nodded, "Every time I meditate, I get these... I don't know what to call them. Glimpses of a possible future, but I don't think they're visions. This is the first time I've seen this particular, for lack of a better word, vision, though."

"Memories, then?" Plo suggested.

Ahsoka pursed her lips, "How can they be memories if I never lived or experience that future? Or should I say past? I don't even know what to call it."

"But you did experience it. This possible future, or alternate reality, you did experience it. Ten years ago, when you received the vision from the Force and you changed the fate of the Order itself." he explained.

"I guess... I don't understand why I keep experiencing these memories, as you call them." 

Plo shifted himself so he was facing Ahsoka, and held out his hands, "Shall we meditate together? These may be your own memories, per se, but that doesn't mean you have to deal with them alone."

Ahsoka nodded and faced him, and placed her hands in his. The two closed their eyes, and she felt him gently probe her shields. She let them down, and he joined her in her own mind. It wasn't long before the two fell into a deep meditative state, and with it came the memories. Plo and Ahsoka both began to visualize the memory that came to Ahsoka minutes before.

_Blood red markings decorated the dark stone. In the middle of the large room glowed a beacon of sorts. Lightning crackled from it. Deep mechanical breathing sounded throughout the air, and the Dark Side of the Force suffocated anyone in the vicinity. It was hellish, and it could only be that of a Sith temple._

_In front of the beacon stood the hulking menace known as Darth Vader, staring down a slightly older Ahsoka Tano. Behind Vader was a boy who desperately tried to crawl away from the half-man half-machine._

_"Anakin Skywalker was weak. I destroyed him." Vader boomed, staring down the Togruta in an effort to discourage her._

_"Then I will avenge his death." Determination seeped into her voice; she would stop at nothing to avenge her master._

_"Revenge is not the Jedi way." Vader taunted._

_"I am no Jedi."_

And with that, Ahsoka ignited her lightsabers and charged. The final duel between master and apprentice had begun.

The scene slowly blurred away, but the sound of lightsabers clashing and Vader's deep breathing echoed unnaturally.

_"Ahsoka!"_

_"Anakin... I won't leave you! Not this time..." her voice boomed, although she could not see the her alternate self. The memory was smeared and blurry; nothing was clear._

_"Then you will die."_

Ahsoka jolted from the meditation, gasping in shock. She quickly took back her hands from Plo's, who calmly regained his composure.

"Little 'Soka..." Plo began.

"I knew Anakin became Vader... I knew that, but it doesn't make it any less harder when I see memories such as that. I could feel the anguish and sorrow that she... that I was feeling, as if I was feeling it myself." she told Plo, voice cracking, shaky and eyes downcast.

"You're alternate self experienced it, and I believe that is why you feel these emotions so deeply. I also believe that you're scared. Scared that Anakin will still become this Vader like he did in this possible future." the Kel Dor said slowly.

Ahsoka opened her mouth to respond, but quickly shut it. She squeezed her eyes shut and wrung her hands together, struggling to get the right words out.

"I'm not just scared, Master Plo..." she began, opening her eyes to look at him, "I'm terrified. I'm terrified that the same fate will befall my master as it did in this alternate future. He did awful things... Things I could never picture my master doing. Not until I experienced them firsthand in that vision ten years ago."

"Ahsoka," Plo said softly, attempting to calm her weary soul with the Force, "Things are different this time around. Anakin has not fallen."

Ahsoka shook her head, uncrossing her legs and dangling them off the tree branch. She gazed off into the distant, watching various Jedi perform medial tasks around the courtyard, "You don't get it, Master Plo. In this alternate future, Anakin didn't just fall the day Palpatine initiated Order 66. He started his descent into the Dark Side long before anyone ever realized.

"Ever since Palpatine met Anakin after he saved Naboo, he's been slowly poisoning his mind against the Jedi, building his ego, and corrupting him. Think about it, Palpatine built a close friendship with Anakin for ten years. He influenced him as a boy, and no one was there to stop it."

"I see your concern..." Plo trailed off, his own worry starting to rise.

"Throughout the Clone Wars, I saw time and time glimpses of how far Anakin truly fell. The Zygerrian slave trade, Mortis, when Obi-Wan went undercover as Rakko Hardeen, my expulsion from the Order... He was slipping, but even with Palpatine out of his life and with Palpatine's identity revealed, I still don't know where Anakin lies."

"Do you think he will turn to the Dark Side? I am asking not as a Council member, but as a friend." Plo asks.

"I'm not completely sure. Although Anakin was my master and I his padawan, we don't talk as much as we used to. I am always away from Tython performing relief missions, and he is on the Council. When he's not performing Council duties, he's on relief missions. In all honesty, I haven't seen him in months." Ahsoka confessed.

"Would Obi-Wan know?"

Ahsoka shook her head, "Possibly."

"This is very troubling, Little 'Soka."

Ahsoka looked away, a frown etched on her face, "It is indeed."

* * *

The tallest point in the Jedi Temple was the Spire of Peace, located in the middle of the temple. It towered above everything, and from it, you could see the forest of trees with bright red/pink flowers on its branches and the crystal clear lake, both right next to the temple. At the top of the spire was an open dome, where one could gaze upon the beauty that was Tython. It was a prime meditation spot for masters and knights alike that desired to connect to the raw Light the planet exuded. Yoda and Mace Windu stood at the edge of the spire, the evening sun bathing them in an orange glow.

"Another war, we will be in." Yoda whispers, longs ears drooping and leaning heavily on his grimer stick. "Fear, I do, that learn our lesson, ten years ago, we did not."

"This war is a necessary evil." Mace points out, folding his arms across his chest.

"A necessary evil, it may be, but an evil nonetheless. Prisoners to our own hubris, we will become again, if allow this war to shape us, we do." the wizened Jedi told Mace.

"We will not take up the mantle of general again. That time has long since passed." Mace responded.

"No, but soldiers, we will become, fighting for the end of Sidious' tyrannical reign. Noble, our intentions are, but noble intentions, manipulated and warped, they can be. The road to evil, paved with noble intentions, it is."

"I believe that if we remain true to our traditions and customs, we will survive this war, as we did the last one." Mace said, looking down at his old friend.

Yoda takes his gimer stick and whacks darker man's shins. Mace shies away from the diminutive master.

"And what if wrong, our traditions are? Hmm? Become stagnant, we did. Allowed hubris to seep into our way of life, we did. Guilty, most of all, I am, for allow it to happen, I did. But an opportunity, we have been given. A second chance. We shall not squander it." Yoda berates the younger, but taller one. Shaking his head, Yoda continued, "Retire to a life of meditation and teaching, I used to want. But now... now know, I do, what I must do. Much thought and meditiation, I have done on this topic, but come to the conclusion, I did, that spearhead change in the Jedi Order, I must. Weary, these bones are are, but sense, I do, that done with me yet, the Force is not. Hmm! Live to nine hundred years old, I might still do." Yoda chuckles.

Mace sighs, his mind contemplating the truth behind Yoda's words. Also, the thought of twenty more years of shin-thwacking really quite scared the man.

"Hmm, betray you, your thoughts have! Live to a thousand years old, I now will just to spite you!" Yoda cackled and whacked Mace's shins again.

Mace never wanted to cry more than he did right now.


	3. Chapter 3

"Congregated once more, to discuss our future." Yoda started, looking around the room at his fellow Jedi Masters. This time, every member was at the temple and in person.

"Just to make sure, is everybody in agreement with our decision to join the fight against the Empire?" Mace asked, and as nobody raised an objection, he continued, "Very well. The leaders of the Rebel Alliance await our decision."

Three holograms appeared in front of the dais that the Jedi Council at on. Padme Amidala stood in the middle, with Mon Mothma and Bail Organa behind her.

"Welcome, you are, my old friends. Glad, I am, to see you well." Yoda said.

"It is good to see you too, Master Yoda. It has been too long. Hopefully soon, we'll have the chance to reunite in person." Padme responded, sending the esteemed Jedi Master a smile, "Although I'm sure you did not contact us to catch up. You have come to a decision?"

Mace nodded, "Yes, we have. We are ready to join the fight against the Empire."

Relief broke out on the faces of the three former senators.

"We're very glad to hear that, Master Windu." Mon said.

"For too long, Palpatine has reined. Come to an end, it must." Yoda said firmly.

"We couldn't agree more. I wish we could celebrate our alliance a little longer, but I'm afraid we're in dire need of your help." Bail said somberly.

"The crisis on Naboo." Aayla Secura answered, leaning forward in interest.

"Yes," Padme confirmed with a nod, "My home planet is currently caught in the cross-fire between the Imperials and the Rebels."

"How did this skirmish come about?" Oppo Rancisis hissed, threading his fingers together.

"Our spies received word that superlaser components were being built to add onto Star Destroyers. If a superlaser capable of destroying planets was added to the already deadly Star Destroyers, the Rebel Alliance would have no hope of winning the war." Mon explained, her hologrom flickering as she talked.

"A planet destroying superlaser? Is that even possible?" Stass Allie asked, shocked.

"It is now." Bail responded grimly.

The Jedi Masters exchanged looks of worry before Mace asked, "What do you want us to do?"

"Anything. Any help the Jedi can offer us will be greatly appreciated. Ideally, though..." Padme trailed off, "Ideally, we would ask for you to send Jedi to assist in freeing Naboo."

"Ms. Amidala, you must realize that is a tall order." Ki-Adi Mundi spoke, frowning at the offer.

"Yes, I must agree. We forwent the mantle of soldier ten years ago. You must understand our hesitancy to leap back into that role." Luminara said, her voice soft but firm.

Before any of the Rebel leaders could speak, Anakin spoke, "But this is the Empire. We must fight them, even if that means participating in another war."

"Wary, we should be, before entering conflict." Yoda warned.

"You underestimate the repercussions of war, Anakin," Stass Allie added, "I, like you, was on the front line of a lot of battles during the Clone Wars. I understand, and even agree with the need to take up arms against the Empire. But it's not as simple as you make it. We should exercise caution, or else we could find ourselves in the same situation that we were in ten years ago."

Anakin sunk back into his chair, arms crossed and frown etched into his face. He glanced at Obi-Wan, who gave him a concerned look, and then at Padme, who could only spare a glance before she was speaking again.

"Master Jedi, I know what its like to desire to remain pacifistic. I shared those same beliefs throughout the the war. During the Clone Wars, I felt as if I was compromising my beliefs on the daily. I wanted peace, but I also wanted an end to the war. When Palpatine started gathering power, I soon realized the error in my judgement. I realized that sometimes we must fight for what is right. We all desire peace, but the only way to achieve that is through this war." Padme spoke, looking up at each on the Jedi Masters on the dais, "I come to you today not as Padme Amidala of the Rebel Alliance, or even Padme Amidala, the former senator of Naboo. I come to you as Padme Naberrie, citizen of the planet Naboo which is currently under siege. Please, help me, and help my queen free my world."

Silence engulfed the chamber as each Council member pondered Padme's speech. Her words echoed in the minds of each and every one of them. They all exchanged knowing glances before coming to a decision.

"We hear you, Ms. Amidala." Kit started off after a long silence.

"Your plight will not go unanswered." Shaak Ti continued, her voice as soft and ethereal as ever, "I think I speak for everyone on this Council that we do not wish to see the people of Naboo suffer more than they already have."

"I believe that we have come to consensus then," Obi-Wan said, looking at Yoda and Mace for confirmation. Receiving nods in response, he continued, "We will help the Alliance and the Naboo, not as soldiers, but as keepers of the peace."

Padme smiled at her friend, and then at the rest of the Jedi Masters, "Thank you, Master Jedi. I thank you not only as one of the leaders of the Rebel Alliance, but as a former queen."

"It is our duty to help the innocent. We will send a Jedi task force to Naboo immediately." Plo responded.

"I thank you again, Master Jedi. Have the Jedi task force contact me as soon as the arrive in the system. I will send them the coordinates of my base."

Yoda nodded, "Farewell, Ms. Amidala. May the Force be with all of you."

The triumvirate of the Rebel Alliance repeated the Jedi maxim before leaving the Jedi Council to converse amongst themselves.

"I sincerely hope this is the will of the Force..." Kit mutters, pushing a few stray tentacles behind his head.

"The Force, bow to Its will, we do. Sense I do, that the right choice, we have made. Easy, this war will not be, but the right path, this is." Yoda responded, eyes closed and deeply in tuned with the Force. The gnarled but wizened Jedi Master slowly opened his eyes, "Decide, we must, on the Jedi task force."

"I volunteer. I know Naboo personally, and I know both the queen and the Padme." Anakin responded quickly.

"Hmm, eager, are we, Skywalker, hmm?" Yoda asked, a smirk on his face as he looked at the young man. There was a glint of slyness in his eyes.

Anakin chuckled and ran his hand threw his hair, "I just think I am uniquely qualified to be apart of this task force."

"I agree, I do." Yoda agreed, "Unite the infamous padawan-master trio, shall we?"

"You mean Anakin, Ahsoka, and myself?" Obi-Wan asked, one brow raised.

Yoda nodded.

"I think it's a good idea. All three of you have good chemistry, and you all have history with Naboo and Padme Amidala." Oppo agreed.

"Three isn't much of a task force, is it?" Stass asked.

"I would like to volunteer." Plo Koon offered.

"As would I." Aayla said too, with Kit echoing her sentiments.

"Five Council members and a Jedi Master? Is that really wise?" Ki-Adi Mundi asked, stroking his short, white goatee.

"It may be necessary. We don't have a clone army this time around. Six Jedi might be needed, maybe even more. We don't know." Shaak Ti sighed.

"Very well. We have our task force then. If you need assistance, contact the temple and we will send reinforcements." Mace said, "If you leave to gather Master Tano, we can have a ship ready for you by the time you acquire her."

"Is that all for this Council session?" the Thisspiasian questioned, uncurling his tail from around his chair.

Yoda nods, "See the task force off, I shall. Collect Master Tano, and in the landing bay, meet me. Concluded, this Council session is."

* * *

Ob-Wan, Anakin, and Plo Koon traverse the busy temple, searching for the suddenly elusive Togruta. Kit and Aayla went to landing bay to prep the ship.

"Do you know where she might be?" Obi-Wan asked.

Anakin shook his head, "No. She's hardly in the temple, I don't know where she likes to stay."

"The courtyard, in the big Ghanda tree." Plo answered.

Anakin raised a brow at the Kel Dor, "You know where she is?"

"I know that is where she spends her time when in the temple, yes."

"How do you know that and I didn't?" Anakin scoffed, folding his arms.

"I simply talk to her." Plo answered simply, much to the ire of Anakin.

Plo Koon and Obi-Wan conversed together as Anakin trailed behind the two, impatiently wanting to get Ahsoka and leave the planet. They reached the giant Ghanda tree, and like Plo said, the Togruta was perched up in the tree deep in meditation.

"Snips!" Anakin shouted, a grin etched on his face.

Ahsoka's eyes snapped open, and peered down toward the trio. Her mouth dropped slightly, before muttering, "Skyguy..."

Plo crossed his arms, noticing Ahsoka's shocked demeanor immediately. It turned out that he wasn't the only once who noticed; Obi-Wan glanced at him before looking at Ahsoka with worried eyes.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Get down here!" Anakin laughed, beckoning his old padawan down.

Pausing for only a second, she hopped off the branch and onto the ground in front of the three Jedi, cushioning her fall with the Force.

"Ahsoka." Obi-Wan said endearingly, opening his arms up for a hug. Ahsoka gladly took the offer, wrapping her arms around her grandmaster, "It's been way too long."

"It has indeed, Master Kenobi." Ahsoka said, leaving the embrace.

"Now, now," Obi-Wan called, giving the young woman a blank stare, "I will tell you as I tell Anakin: call me Obi-Wan."

"I don't think that's ever gonna happen, Master." Anakin said, nudging the man with his shoulder.

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes, "I should know by now. You didn't listen to me when you were my padawan, why did I expect you to listen now that you're a master."

Anakin objected, and two men starting bickering. Ahsoka smiled at the scene; it was one she hadn't seen for a long time.

"Comforting, isn't it?" Plo Koon asked, standing beside Ahsoka, "To know that such time has passed but nothing has changed?"

"It is," Ahsoka responded, but her smile soon turned melancholic, "But things did change. I changed."

Plo Koon nodded in understanding, but no more words were exchanged.

"You forget, my dear master of mine, that I have saved you countless times." Anakin said with a smirk.

Obi-Wan scoffed, "Falling into that nest of Gundarks hardly count. If I remember correctly, you were the one who caused us to be in that situation in the first place."

Anakin laughed nervously, and quickly changed the subject, turning to his old padawan with a pout, "Ahsoka! You said hello to everyone but me!"

Ahsoka chuckled, before hugging her old master, "It's good to see you, Skyguy."

The two disengaged from the hug, and Ahsoka asked, "What are you doing here? I haven't seen you two in ages!"

Obi-Wan answered, "We're here to gather you. The Council has assigned us on a mission, along with Master Fisto and Master Secura."

"A mission?" Ahsoka asked, her brows furrowed, "The Council hasn't assigned a formal mission in almost ten years, not including aid missions."

"We will explain everything, Little 'Soka. But for now, we must meet Masters Yoda, Fisto, and Secura in the landing bay. We're leaving immediately."

"Well then," Ahsoka started, pushing past the three men and heading towards the entrance to the temple, "Shall we get going?"

"Oh, I've missed you, Snips." Anakin muttered, following her with Plo Koon and Obi-Wan in tow.

"Do you have anything to collect before we leave? This mission might be a long one." Obi-Wan asked, stepping to the left side of her. Plo Koon stood on the other side of her, while Anakin walked next to Obi-Wan.

Ahsoka shook her head, "No, I have all I need on my person." She tapped her lightsaber.

"Why, Little 'Soka, I didn't get the opportunity to ask yesterday why you changed garments." Plo Koon asked, scanning the new all white clothing that the Togruta donned.

"I haven't just been going on aid missions these past few years, Master Plo." Ahsoka explained, "About a year ago, I went undercover to expose and stop a particularly nasty slavery ring operating off of Tatooine."

"Tattooine? Slavery ring?" Anakin asked incredulously with his arms crossed and brows furrowed, "Why didn't I know about this? Why didn't Master Plo or Master Obi-Wan know about this?"

"Not all aid missions are given through the Council, Anakin. Masters are free to operate on their own cognizance, given that they try to avoid the Empire and its operations." Obi-Wan explained quickly, eager to hear Ahsoka's story as well.

Ahsoka nodded, "Yes, I took this venture on my own. Anyway, this slavery ring was brutal. It was run by a Hutt named Kotumda. I saw some pretty horrific stuff over there... But once I took down Kotumda and the slavery ring, I took a sabbatical. For the next few months, I followed where the Force took me. It led me to Illum, and I discovered these." 

Ahsoka took her lightsaber off her belt and ignited it, illuminating her face with a pure, white hue.

"I've never seen such a color on a lightsaber." Anakin said, gazing at the lightsaber.

"Yes, my shoto is the same color as well. The last ten years have really changed me as a person, but I think the undercover mission did so especially. Now, I think my apparel and my lightsabers reflect my new self." Ahsoka finished, sheathing her lightsaber and clipping it back onto her belt.

"Here we are." Obi-Wan said as the door to the landing bay opened. In the middle, Yoda, Kit, and Aayla stood as several padawans were stocking the ship with supplies. The four Jedi approached them.

"Good to see you, it is, Master Tano. Many months, it has been." Yoda smiled up at her.

Ahsoka bowed in return.

"Everything is in order." Aayla said, holding her hands behind her back. The padawans put the last crate into the ship, and quickly scurried away.

"Shall we be off?" Kit asked. The others nodded, and started to climb the ramp of the T-6 Shuttle.

"Last words, I have for you." Yoda called, leaning heavily onto his grimer stick, "Perilous, this mission will be. Be on guard, you should. Evil forces, conspire against you, against us, they do."

"We shall be cautious, Master Yoda." Plo answered.

Yoda nodded, and said no more. The Jedi task force entered the ship, and situated themselves, with Anakin as the pilot.

"May the Force be with you all... Need it, you will." Yoda muttered softly as he watched the ship fly away.


	4. Chapter 4

"Guys, we're coming out of hyperspace!" Anakin called out from the cockpit. Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, Kit, Aayla, and Plo all gathered into the cockpit as the blue hue of hyperspace disappeared and was replaced with the sight of a battlefield.

"Blast it! We came out of hyperspace in the middle of damn battle." Ahsoka cursed, staring at the line cluster of Rebel and Imperial ships that exchanged blue and red blaster fire.

"The former queen wasn't lying when she said it was a siege." Aayla said, hanging onto the side of the cockpit as Anakin jerked the ship to the left to avoid a squadron of TIE fighters chasing a Rebel ship, "Can you contact Padme?"

Anakin pressed a few buttons on the console, and the small hologram of Padme Amidala appeared before them.

"I'm glad to see you all." Relief broke out over her face, "The situation is worsening down here. The Imperials have chased us out into the Lake Country. They took control of the Gungan City, and the Gungans were forced to retreat to Lake Country with us."

"Things aren't looking good up here either," Ahsoka told her, grimacing as a Rebel MC80 Star Cruiser exploded next to them.

"You must get down here quickly. I fear that the Imperials won't allow us to reside here for much longer." The woman said, "I will send you the coordinates immediately."

The blinking light on the console indicated that the ship had recieved the coordinates.

"We'll be there as soon as we can, Padme. I promise." Anakin said, taking his eyes off the battle to look at her.

Padme nodded her head, and ended the transmission.

"Let's focus on trying to weave ourselves out of this mess." Plo muttered through his breathing mask, "There is no time to engage in a space battle of this proportion."

"You might want to grab a seat, it's gonna be a bumpy ride. Snips, be my co-pilot." Anakin called out. The others quickly grabbed a seat in the cockpit, and Ahsoka jumped into the seat next to Anakin.

"Anakin, please don't tell me you're about to do what I think you're about to do." Obi-Wan asked from behind, staring at the space battle incredulously. 

Ahead, a Star Destroyer and a MC80 Star Cruiser was within feet of each other, engaged in a brutal standoff with each other. Both had fire billowing from the incessant blaster fire, but neither was going to give in until one of them was destroyed.

"Calm down, Master." Anakin answered, a smirk adorning his face, "Snips, rotate the wings."

"Uh, Anakin, I don't think this is a good idea..." Ahsoka trailed off, glancing at her old master.

"Just do it." Anakin snapped. Ahsoka did as he said, and the wings rotated from the sides to the top and bottom of the ship. The two gigantic cruisers loomed closer and closer, "Once we get clear of these ships, were gonna have no problem getting to the surface."

"I must agree with Ahsoka, this is not a good idea." Plo said, clutching the sides of his seat.

"Here we go!" Anakin exclaimed as the ship entered the gap in between the ships. Every Jedi in the cockpit held their breaths as blue and red bolts flew dangerously close to the window of the cockpit. Suddenly, the Star Destroyer grew more and more unstable; fire and smoke billowed 

"Skywalker, get us out of here!" Kit yelled, his black eyes scanning the unstable cruiser.

With gritted teeth, Anakin dove down, but not in time. The Star Cruiser erupted. The ship jerked from the blast due to its proximity. The top wing clipped the bottom of the Rebel cruiser, and was broken off. Beeps and flashes followed.

"We lost one of the wings," Anakin muttered with many curses following. They entered the atmosphere of the planet, and fire from their fast, rough entrance into the atmosphere enveloped window of the cockpit, "This is gonna be rough."

"Well, it's not a mission with Anakin if there wasn't a crash landing involved." Aayla muttered, her blue face pale and grim.

The ship jerkily broke through the line of clouds, and the Jedi were greeted with the beautiful landscape of Naboo. The windswept plains were a bright green, and brimming with light and life. Rivers flowed throughout the hilltops, all leading to the edge of the cliff where the cataracts all converged.

"Brace for impact!" Ahsoka shouted, grabbing onto her seat. The ship finally crashed into the ground, and everything went to hell. The Jedi inside the cockpit were thrown out of there seats, even with their restraints on, as the ship plowed through the plains of Naboo. It rolled and tumbled, wings and any other protruding mechanisms breaking off in the process. By the time time ship lost its momentum and came to a stop, it was on its side with only the cockpit and engine left.

Obi-Wan slowly propped himself up against the window of the cockpit, holding his arm in pain. Blood was seeping from a cut on his forehead, and his usually perfect hair was not drooping into his eyes. Next to him, Ahsoka was already to her feet with no major injuries, excluding a few cuts and bruises.

"Well, that was an interesting landing." Obi-Wan remarked, glancing up at her, "Can you help me up?"

Ahsoka held out a hand, which Obi-Wan grabbed with his good arm, and pulled him up. She wrapped an arm around his waist and he placed his own arm around her shoulders, balancing him. She looked around the cockpit. Aayla's unconscious form was hanging from the ceiling, wired and cords wrapped suspending her in midair, Kit was sprawled across the floor with Anakin and Plo.

"Let's get you out of here first, then I can come back for them." Ahsoka said softly, guiding Obi-Wan towards the door, careful not to step on the three Jedi on the floor or run into Aayla. Normally, it would slide open when a being would approach it, but it stayed motionless. Ahsoka flicked her wrist, tugging at the door with the Force. It wouldn't budge. Gazing around the room for another way out, she spotted a hole in the ceiling, next to where Aayla was hanging, and the cracked window that Obi-Wan was laying against just a few seconds ago.

Deciding that the window was probably the easier bet, Ahsoka guided Obi-Wan over to the window.

"Watch your eyes." she warned him, before blowing the window out with the Force. The cool, fresh breeze met her face as she walked out of the cockpit, the sun shining down on her skin. Beside the ship was a river than spanned the entire plain, and led into a waterfall further down. Spotting a boulder nearby, Ahsoka gently propped Obi-Wan up against it.

"Are you okay?" she asked, leaning down next to him to examine the large gash in his forearm.

"Yes, other than my arm, I believe I'm fine. Nothing broken. Just a little pain." he responded. He looked past her at the ship, and his eyes widened slightly, "Ahsoka, get the others now."

Confused, she looked back at the crashed ship. Fire enveloped the back end of the ship, where the engine was stored.

"Shit," Ahsoka cursed, and sprinted towards the ship and into the cockpit. She bent down and shook the Kit first, but the Nautolan showed no signs of waking up. She turned to Anakin and did the same thing to him. His eyes fluttered briefly, but he didn't wake. Mutter "Master Plo" with a shake, he didn't wake up either. She glanced up at Aayla who was still unconscious as well.

She called on the Force and enveloped Plo, Kit and Anakin with it, levitating their bodies in the air. As fast as she could, but careful not to lose focus and drop them, she levitated them out through the broken window.

"Ahsoka, I've got them! Get Aayla and get out!" Obi-Wan called out, raising his arms and taking control of the three Jedi with the Force. He grimaced in pain, but levitated the three over to him.

Taking her lightsaber off of her utility belt, she ignited it, cutting the blue Twi'lek free. She fell into Ahsoka's arms, her body limp. Ahsoka wasted no time in running out of the cockpit and toward where the three other Jedi were. As she reached the boulder, she heard the ship explode from behind her. She laid Aayla down next to Kit, Plo, and Anakin, then collapsed onto the boulder in exhaustion.

"This is turning out to be an interesting mission indeed." Obi-Wan remarked.

All Ahsoka did was send a blank stare in his direction.


	5. Chapter 5

_A barren valley made of rock and dead soil surrounded him on both sides, with statues of robed figured decorating the walls and ground above the valley. The area, while dry and dead-looking, was brimming with untapped Force energy. The valley was desolate, except for a lone, robed figure that stood motionless far in front of him._

_"Your identity, I wish to know." Yoda called out, taking a step forward. The figure didn't move._

"You know her, Master Yoda." _A voice said softly, echoing around him. Yoda looked around, startled, trying to find the origin of the disembodied voice._

_"Where is this place? Familiar with it, I am not." Yoda asked, still searching for the voice._

"This valley was once home to a senseless act of death and destruction at the hands of the Sith. Many Jedi and Sith lost their lives here." _the voice responded._

" **Senseless? You and your Army of Light deserved everything it got and more.** " _Another voice, much deeper and malevolent than the first, snarled._

_"Answered my questions, you have not. Given me half-truths and riddles, you have." Yoda stated, a frown on his face._

"Sound like someone you know?" _The lighter voice responded jovially. Yoda's frown didn't change. The voice audibly sighed, and said,_ "This is the Valley of the Jedi."

_"The Valley of the Jedi?" Yoda repeated, racking his mind to figure out the name sounded so familiar, "A legend among the Jedi, it is, but know, older Jedi do, of the truth behind the legend. This valley, scene it was, to the defeat of Skere Kaan, and the sacrifice of Lord Hoth."_

"Yes, the very same." _the voice affirmed._

" **But that is neither here or there. You will find out the truth behind this tale soon enough.** " _the sinister voice said ominously._

_"Explain, you will." Yoda insisted._

" **See you soon, my little green friend.** " _Yoda felt the voices leave his presence._

_The motionless figure that stood in the distance turned to face him. The figure shook the robe off, revealing their identity. Shocked, Yoda took a step back._

_"Yoda." Fay whispered. Suddenly, Yoda was thrown back by an invisible force, and the world around him circled and blurred._

Gasping, Yoda awoke from his meditation. He reached a clawed hand to his head; a headache was forming.

"Master Yoda, are you okay?" Mace inquired, gazing at the older Jedi with worry.

Taking a minute to catch his breath, Yoda rose from the meditation chair and gathered his gimer stick, "Lead me on a mission, the Force does. Reunite with an old friend, I must."

"Master Yoda, where are you going? Who are you meeting? Master Yoda?" Mace asked, rising from his own seat.

"My path, revealed by the Force, it will be." Yoda muttered, and exited the room, leaving Mace alone.

* * *

The campfire illuminated the dark landscape with the melodic chirps of the insects and crashing of the waterfalls filled the air, giving off a peaceful vibe. Even in the dead of night, Naboo was peaceful and alive. Ahsoka knew why Anakin loved it here, and why Padme loved her homeworld so much.

She poked the fire with a stick, making it crackle. The others were still unconscious from the crash landing, and Ahsoka had offered to take watch for Obi-Wan so he was currently resting.

A groan sounded from Aayla as the blue Twi-lek sat up, setting her eyes on Ahsoka.

"Ahsoka," she said slowly, her accent shining through, "I guess the landing was smooth?"

She cracked a smile, "As smooth as one of Anakin's landings could be."

Aayla smiled and changed positions, sitting crossed legged facing the fire and opposite of Ahsoka.

"The others haven't woken up?" the woman asked, glancing at Kit, Anakin, Obi-Wan, then Plo.

"Obi-Wan was conscious when the ship crashed, but he's resting now. The others are still unconscious." she responded, "I don't sense any life-threatening injuries, but I'm sure a bath in bacta wouldn't hurt."

A comfortable silence fell upon them as the two stared at the fire. After a while, Aayla broke the silence.

"You saw a vision of the future, right? Ten years ago?" she asked.

Ahsoka looked up at her, brows furrowing slightly. She nodded, "Yes, I did."

"Can you..." she paused for a moment, hesitant to complete her sentence, "Can you tell me what happened to me? To Kit?"

With her mouth pressed into a thin line, Ahsoka asked, "Are you sure?"

Aayla nodded, eyes determined.

Sighing, Ahsoka obliged, "Kit was murdered by Sidious in an attempt to arrest him."

Aayla's eyes widened in horror. Ahsoka waited a minute, letting the unsettling information sink in. After a minute, she continued, "You were killed by your own clone troopers who were forced to betray their Jedi generals."

Aayla's mouth trembled slightly as she covered her mouth with her hand to prevent her cries from ringing throughout the countryside.

"I'm sorry." Ahsoka said meekly, knowing that nothing she said or did would comfort the woman. Aayla shook her head, her lekkus bouncing. She wiped away the few stray tears that had fallen, and responded, "It's fine. Thank you for telling me."

Ahsoka nodded ever so slightly, returning her eyes to the dancing flames in front of her. She knew the burden of knowing what the future held all too well.

Neither of the women talked for the rest of the night, and eventually, Aayla had gone to sleep. Morning came, and one by one, each of them awoke, and were now sitting around the campfire.

"Thank the Force all of us made it out of that relatively unharmed." Kit muttered, binding his tentacles together so that they didn't move around, "Without a ship, it's gonna be harder to rendezvous with the Rebels."

"The coordinates were lost with the ship." Obi-Wan frowned, stroking his beard.

"Skywalker, you know Ms. Amidala. Would you have any inkling as to where she would set up base?" Plo asked through his mask, turning to face the young man.

"Hmm," Anakin hummed, his face contorting in thought, "She might set up camp at Varykino."

"Varykino?" Ahsoka asked.

Anakin nodded, "It's the Naberrie family home. It's located on the lake of the same name." Anakin gazed around at the surrounding waterfalls and landscape, "It isn't too far from here, if I'm not mistaken."

"You seem to know a lot about this Varykino." Obi-Wan stated, crossing his arms and looking at Anakin expectingly.

"It's where I took Padme before the start of the Clone Wars." Anakin answered, smiling nervously.

Obi-Wan hummed, as if he didn't totally believe the man, but he let it slide anyway.

"Well, if Anakin knows where this Varykino is, then let's not waste anymore time." Aayla announced, standing up.

"I concur." Ahsoka followed, "Alright then. I doubt there's anything salvageable from the ship, so let's get this show on a roll!"

With Anakin leading, the Jedi taskforce were on there way to meet the Padme and the Rebels on Naboo.


	6. Chapter 6

After hours of walking, the beautiful sight of the Naberrie family home came into sight as Anakin and the others reached the top of the cliffs. The beautiful house stood on a hill, overlooking Varykino Lake. It's architecture was distinctly Nabooian, it resembled buildings in Theed with its tan stone walls and domed roofs. Tents were pitched all around the property, and soldiers bustled about.

Anakin smiled at the sight of the home, "This is Varykino."

"It truly is beautiful." Kit commented.

"Indeed." Plo said simply.

The group followed the path down to the house. They approached the gated perimeter, and the two Rebels that guarded the entrance to Varykino took notice of their arrival and aimed their weapons their way.

"Halt!" The one on the left shouted. She was a Pantoran female, dressed in camouflaged combat gear.

"State your names." The one on the right demanded, taking a step forward. He was a human male, dressed similarly to the Pantoran.

"We are here on behalf of the Jedi Order." Ahsoka said, stepping forward from the group. The two guards looked at each other, confusion radiating from both.

"Let them through!" A female voice shouted from inside the gate. The gates opened, and out strolled Padme Amidala, dressed in the same wear as the other two Rebels. She forewent the usual Rebel headgear, and let her long, brown braided hair flow down her back.

"Mistress Amidala, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Kit said, smiling at the former queen and bowing slightly.

Padme smirked and chuckled, shaking her head.

"That's not Padme." Anakin pointed out, smiling as well, "That's her former handmaiden, Sabe."

Sabe, still smirking, said, "That's right. I'm Padme's second in command."

"My mistake, Miss Sabe." Kit apologized. His light green skin grew a little darker, signifying his embarrassment.

Sabe waves her hand at him, "Don't worry about it. I wasn't the queen's double for nothing," She turned, walking inside the camp and calling out from over her shoulder, "Follow me, Jedi."

She led them past various pitched tents, some filled with wounded soldiers, some filled with refugees from the civil war, and some filled with supplies and weapons. Noticeably, Gungans roamed around the camp as well. helping out where they could. The sight was all to familiar; Ahsoka could remember many times where she saw the same sights on various conquests and missions.

They finally reached the steps of Varykino, and the two Rebels guarding the door opened the door for them. Crates lined the halls, and Rebels bustled from room to room, no doubt scrambling after their retreat from Theed. They reached a set of double doors, and Sabe turned around to face them.

"Padme is in here." she said, turning around and pushing open the doors. Inside, was an open area than, and led to a balcony that looked over the lake and the beautiful hills of Naboo. Pillars lined the room, and ivy and vines snaked around the walls, adding a splash of color to an otherwise polished and tan room. In the middle of the room was a holotable with plans of some kind, and people surrounding it, muttering about themselves.

"Mistress Padme, the Jedi have arrived." Sabe announced, bowing slightly and moving to the side so the woman could view the Jedi taskforce. Padme turned around, and Ahsoka was shocked. The woman looked the same as she did ten years ago, with the exception of a few wrinkles that decorated the sides of her eyes and mouth. She wore a plain grey suit, obviously fit for comfortability and combat and not flashy or elegant. Her hair was pinned back in a tight ponytail, and her face was stern was serious, but as soon as she laid her eyes on them, her demeanor quickly changed.

"Anakin! Obi-Wan, Ahsoka!" The former Naboo queen exclaimed, walking over to Obi-Wan first and engulfing him in a suffocating hug. Obi-Wan chuckled, wrapping his arms around her.

"You're getting a little grey there, old man." Padme teased, pulling away and eyeing the small amounts of grey that was in his otherwise auburn beard and hair.

"That I am, Padme." Obi-Wan smiled. Padme turned her sights on Ahsoka, who held out her arms in advance. Padme hugged her, whispering in her ear, "I've missed you so much."

Ahsoka smiled, and whispered, "I miss you too." The two broke away, and Padme turned to Kit, Aayla, and Plo, who stood in the back.

"Master Jedi, it is a pleasure." Padme said to them, more formally than when she greeted both Obi-Wand and Ahsoka.

"It is, milady." Aayla said, bowing slightly.

Padme scoffed, "Enough with the pleasantries. If you are going to fight by my side to free Naboo, then you deserve to call me Padme."

The three smile and nodded, and Padme finally turned her sights to Anakin, who was slightly impatient to see his secret wife.

"Ani." Padme said slowly, taking in the sight of him, "You cut your hair."

Anakin ran his fingers through pushed-up hair, "Yeah, I did."

Padme smiled, "I like it."

The two embraced, and Ahsoka could notice the unsaid words between them. Their eyes spoke a thousand unsaid words, and whether it was two friends who haven't seen each other for a long time or two lovers was unclear. Ahsoka decided she was going to have to talk with her former master later.

The two finally disconnected, and Padme waved them over to the holotable. Around it, she noticed many different people, none she recognized. Once the Jedi and Sabe were gathered around the holotable, Padme started to introduce each person.

"This is my War Council. Master Jedi, this is Captain Gregar Typho, head of the Naboo Security Forces," she said, pointing to the dark-skinned man to her left, "Kleef, leader of the Gungan army," she pointed to the green-skinned Gungan, who had his arms crossed, "Sio Bibble, former governor of Naboo," she pointed to an older man with a large white beard and long white hair. He had his folded behind his back as he watched the Padme introduce the council, "Former queens Neeyutnee and Apailana," the two women she pointed at, who couldn't of been older than twenty-five and twenty respectively, were dressed in more elegant looking clothes than Padme was, but they still looked ready to fight in case of an emergency, "Queen Kylantha," she pointed at the flickering hologram of a woman, dressed in a beautiful dress that showed her shoulders and cleavage, "And my second in command, Sabe."

"It's truly a pleasure, Master Jedi." Neeyutnee said, speaking softly.

"Now that we got all of the greetings out of the way, can we attempt to plan to take back Theed?" Typho said impatiently, his mouth forming into a disapproving frown.

"Yes, lets. Theed is heavily guarded. Imperial squadrons roam the city, stirring up trouble anywhere they can. The palace is even worse. I suspect that the Emperor does not fully trust that my allegiance is to the Empire judging by how many stormtroopers are currently occupying the planet." Kylantha spoke, disgust evident in her voice as she spoke of the Imperial occupation, "He does not have any definitive proof to have me removed, but that hasn't stopped him before. It is only a matter of time."

"Theed will definitely be the hardest to take back." Bibble frowned.

"Wesa Gungans are in a similar predicament. Deysa taken over the Otoh Gunga." Kleef spoke, his Gunganese accent clear.

"Rebel scouts reported that Gungan City is occupied, but not heavily. A few squadrons at most." Sabe added.

"And what about the plans for the superlaser?" Obi-Wan asked, stroking his beard.

Sabe tapped the zoomed out map of Naboo on the holotable, and it zoomed in on a dense forest. An underground facility was highlighted in red.

"They are being kept at an Imperial facility which is located in the Eastern swamps, and Masters Kenobi, Tano, and Skywalker should recognize it." Sabe spoke, glancing at the three Jedi, "This was the same facility used by Nuvo Vindi in his insane attempt to spread the Blue Shadow Virus."

"Truly a despicable man." Bibble muttered, his face pinching in disgust.

Apailana nodded in agreement, and continued, "We don't know much, just that the facility is heavily guarded."

"So we're going in blind." Plo Koon stated, crossing his arms.

Padme nodded, "Essentially. The plan is that we will split up our forces and all three sites at the same time, with me and a Jedi leading a squadron to Theed, another Jedi leading a squadron Otoh Gunga, and a Jedi leading a squadron to assault the Imperial facility." Padme explained, leaning on the holotable with a determined look, "What do you think?"

"That is a risky plan." Typho said hesitantly, "Our forces will be spread thin."

"I must agree with the captain. It's risky." Kit added.

Padme shook her head, sighing, "This is our only option. If we want to rid the Imperials from Naboo for good, this is the plan."

The war council was silent for a moment, and Ahsoka spoke first, "Very well. I shall lead the assault on the research facility."

"As will I." Aayla added, "We don't know what we'll find down there, so it's best if two Jedi go."

Padme nodded, and looked to Kit as he started to speak, "I shall go to Otoh Gunga. I am aquatic, and so I think it's best for me to go."

"Very well. Then that leaves Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Master Koon to lead the assault on Theed with me." Padme concluded, "This is going to be a hard battle for everyone, but we can do this. This is our beloved Naboo, and we will not let the Emperor's lackeys soil it."

"Couldn't of said it better myself." Sabe cheered, and the the rest of the war council cheered to Padme's mini speech. 

* * *

As soon as Yoda had acquired his personal starfighter and left the Jedi Temple, he could feel the Force tugging at him, begging him to follow the path It had planned for him. Letting the Force guide his hand, he input the coordinates, and soon enough, he was dropping out of hyperspace and in front of a planet decorated with different green, black, white, and blue hues.

"Ruusan." Yoda muttered, gazing at the planet as he drew closer. He entered the atmosphere and broke through the clouds that encircled the planet, revealing the lush, alive flora. This planet has been untouched by the galaxies for centuries, and it was apparent; trees and plants grew without restraint, animals freely frolicked through fields of grass. The Force shone brightly. It wasn't bogged down by technology and the cruelness of society that has corrupted Coruscant and many other highly populated planets. By not having seen the touch of the galaxy for nearly a thousand years, the Force was able to thrive on the planet, effectively becoming a nexus for the Light Side.

"T5, scan the planet. A barren valley, I must find." Yoda told the little astromech perched on the wing of his starfighter. The blue and red droid beeped, and did so. T5 beeped, and sent coordinates to the ship. He had found a location similar. Yoda took hold of the controls, and guided the ship to where T5 had designated.

The lush forests and plains from before were gone, replaced with a barren wasteland. Nothing lived here. The Force, peaceful and calm and alive before, was a maelstrom, proof of the chaotic history that happened many years ago.

The valley soon came into sight, statues of robed Jedi towering above it. Yoda landed the ship near the edge of where it dropped off, and hopped out of the starfighter.

"Stay with the ship, you will." Yoda said and jumped into the valley, not waiting for an answer from the droid. He landed on the floor of the valley, softening his landing with the Force.

" _You have finally made it._ " The ghostly image of a man appeared before Yoda. He donned silver armor, with gold trimmings, and a fur cape. His hair was completely gray, with the exception of a black mustache, and pulled back into a tight ponytail. Yoda noticed a lightsaber clipped to the man's armor.

"One of the voices who contacted me, you were." Yoda stated, looking up at the man.

" _I was._ " The man confirmed with a nod, " _I am Jedi Lord Hoth, leader of the Army of Light._ "

"Know who you are, I do. Tales of your exploits, rang throughout the halls of the Jedi Temple, they did, when a youngling, I was." Yoda explained.

Hoth smirked, crossing his arms, " _Glad to know I wasn't forgotten._ "

Yoda looked away from the ghost, and looked around the valley. A ways ahead, ruined pillars stood, the remnants of whatever used to be there, and in the middle, a cross-legged figure sat with their back to him.

Hoth, noticing Yoda looking at the ruins and the figure, said, " _Your destiny lies with her._ "

"Destiny?" Yoda asked, looking up at him.

" _Although you and her departed from each other long ago, you and your old master's destinies are now woven together once more._ " Hoth answered cryptically. 

Before Yoda could ask for clarification, the man smiled at him, before fading away. He frowned, more questions were forming in his mind than ever before. With a sigh, Yoda made his way over to the figure, limping as fast as he could without his gimer stick. When Yoda was a few feet from the dais the robed figure stood up, but didn't turn around.

"It's been a long time, my young padawan." she spoke, her voice as youthful and soft as ever.

"Brought us here, the Force has." Yoda said. The figure turned around, pulling the hood down. The woman was pale, with blonde hair cascading down her back and strands of hair framing her face. Her pointy ears were clearly on display, poking out from her hair, distinctly similar to that of the Sephi. Her ageless appearance did not betray her true age; her face was without blemish or wrinkle with the exception of the small tattoos on her left cheek and forehead, both symbols of her unwavering servanthood to the Force and Its will.

"Indeed it has. It has been near four or five centuries since I last saw you, my dear Yoda." the woman said, smiling slightly.

"On Chandrila, if memory serves. A mission, I was on, to defend the Chandrilan delegates, and searching for an ancient Jedi artifact, you were, Master Fay." Yoda said, remembering back to that time.

Fay nodded her head slightly, her hair falling into her face, "Yes, we always made quite the team, even after you became a master."

Taking a moment to savor the feelings that the old memories brought, Yoda didn't respond. Those were the times he truly missed, when the Jedi were bountiful and thriving, not in hiding and recovering from near annihilation.

"A dangerous time, it is, to be wandering the galaxy." Yoda muttered finally.

Fay smiled again, "Come sit," She walked over to a fallen pillar and sat on it, patting next to her. Yoda hobbled over to where she sat, jumping up on the pillar. Fay continued, "Yes, it is. I may be a wanderer in this galaxy, but I am not blind to the workings of the rest of the galaxy."

"Then know, you do, of the rise of the Sith?" Yoda asked.

"Yes. I had foreseen their rise years before. It had been foretold by the Force Itself. What wasn't foretold was the Jedi's survival or not, I was not privy to that information." she explained, "I am happy to see that you are alive and well, and I assume the rest of the Order is alive as well."

"Yes. Warned, we were, from a padawan wrongly forsaken. Without her, exterminated, we would have been." Yoda said gravely, his mouth forming into a thin line. Just the thought of the Jedi's extermination made him all the more thankful of the Force's intervention by way of Ahsoka, "Prepared, we were, for when take action, the Sith did."

"The rise of the Sith has not stopped my following of the Force. The Force has guided to planet to planet, helping civilizations and races with wars, disagreements, politics, and bandits alike. I have even helped them from the Empire itself. But now, now It has led me here to Ruusan." she said, looking down at him.

"Led _us_ here, It has." Yoda corrected.

"Yes, us. The Force has heard the cry of Its subjects for too long, and is determined to see them freed." Fay explained, looking around the ruins around them, almost as if she saw something that he didn't.

"Subjects? Desolate, this place is." Yoda said, confused.

Fay chuckled, shaking her head, "Oh, Yoda, look again. Search the Force, search this place. You will feel it."

Yoda did what she said, and closed his eyes. He let himself fall deep into the embrace of the Force, and let himself go into the raw power of this Force nexus. He could feel what his old master felt now. Hundreds of souls, filled with turbulence and unrest. Opening his eyes again, he looked up at her.

"True, the legends are. Hundreds of souls, bound to this place, they are." he told her.

Fay nodded, "Both Jedi and Sith are bound to this place, and the Force has heard the pleas of the people for far too long. It has led me here to free them, along with you and T'ra Saa."

Yoda widened his eyes, and asked, "Master Saa, here, she is? Lost, she was, and presumed dead, after our exodus from Coruscant."

"No, she became a wanderer akin to me." Fay answered, "She is in the catacombs of this very valley, searching for the origins of this devastation, while I awaited your eventual arrival."

Fay stood up, and turned to Yoda, "Come. I will take you to her."


	7. Chapter 7

Fay led Yoda through the caverns of Ruusan, the air getting harder to breathe as they descended into the earth. The only light they had was the light emitted from their lightsabers. The farther they went, the more evidence of what had happened their many centuries ago. Armor, bones, and lightsabers alike were scattered on the floor of the cave, remnants of the Army of Light.

"A massacre." Yoda had commented mournfully as they continued through the caves. These Jedi may have been before his time, but they were still Jedi, they were still his family

Fay didn't answer but continued to lead Yoda through the desolate caves. Eventually they reached an anomaly in the cave system: a giant sphere-shaped room with a silver, iridescent cocoon floating in the middle of the room. Dark Side energy rolled off it in waves; Yoda was almost suffocated by the amount of pure darkness it radiated combined with the already thin air. Below the floating cocoon was T'ra Saa sitting cross-legged in front of the cocoon, meditating.

"You've arrived." Saa spoke, her voice as deep and smooth as he remembered it being. The woman rose from her spot and turned to the two Jedi. She, due to her species being able to change their appearance at will, chose to be human-like with skin that had a green tint to it, and sported no nose. Instead of hair, she had brown tendrils, like that of roots of a tree. She wore deep brown robes, with trimmings and patterns of gold decorating them.

"T'ra, how goes the disassembly?" Fay asks, walking over to the other woman.

T'ra sighed, glancing at the cocoon behind her, "Not very well, I'm afraid. I cannot figure out the best way to extract the souls without destroying them completely."

"Extract? Reside in the cocoon, souls do?" Yoda asked, his brows furrowing.

The two women glanced at him, then turned back to each other, "You didn't tell him?" T'ra questioned.

Fay shook her head, "I thought it'd be best for both of us to explain it to him."

The Neti sighed, and nodded, "Yes, I suppose so. What do you know of the legend of Lord Hoth and his Army of Light?"

Yoda answered, reciting the age-old legend he was told, and in turn told centuries of Jedi, "Taken one hundred of his best men, Lord Hoth did, to combat the Sith Lord Skere Kaan's Brotherhood of Darkness. Destroyed, both armies were, in the ensuing battle."

"You're right about Lord Hoth taking one hundred of his best men to battle Skere Kaan and his ow, but you're wrong about how they were destroyed." Fay corrected him.

Yoda tilted his head, curious as to what the women knew of the legendary battle.

"Lord Hoth of the Army of Light, believed the Brotherhood of Darkness was planning a trap, so he took only one hundred into the caves of this very valley. Skere Kaan, out of pure desperation and arrogance, resorted to creating a thought bomb." T'ra explained. Sensing Yoda's confusion, T'ra continued, "A thought bomb is an ancient Sith ritual. It requires the power and sacrifice of many Sith Lords to even make it. When detonated, the thought bomb, in all of its volatility and darkness, steals the souls of any Force-sensitive in the area, absorbing and trapping the souls in perpetual torment and hell. The orb you see in front of you is a manifestation of the prison the souls are still being kept in."

"Foolishly, Kaan believed he could control the bomb. Because of his arrogance, Kaan and the Brotherhood of Darkness, along with Hoth and his one hundred Jedi. For centuries, their souls remain trapped in a never-ending hell, unless we find a way to stop it." Fay said, "The Force led you here because you have a part to play in this."

Yoda hummed lowly, "See, I do. Free these souls, we must. Where will they go once freed, they are?"

"To the Netherworld of the Force, a sort of afterlife for those who have passed on," Fay answered, and seeing Yoda was about to object and inquire what exactly that was, she waved him off, saying, "We will explain the philosophies and workings of the Force at a later date, my old, but very naive apprentice. For now, we must figure out a way free these souls."

Yoda frowned, but didn't object, "Assume, I do, that breaking it open, an option, it is not."

T'ra shook her head, "It is impervious to any attacks."

"Hmm." Yoda hummed, going through any and all knowledge he had that could be useful.

"What if we ourselves extract the souls?" Fay asked, looking at her two fellow Jedi.

"Extract them?" Yoda repeated.

Fay nodded her head. T'ra frowned, and furrowed her brows in thought, "That has never been done before in general, let alone with a thought bomb. It would be dangerous and monotonous."

"We have three of the wisest and most powerful Jedi in the galaxy here. If anyone could do it, it would be us." Fay argued.

"Go about this, how would we?" Yoda asked. Although the idea seemed reckless, his former master may be onto something. He was willing to hear her out.

"All three of us go into a deep meditation, and we project our subconscious into the orb. From there, we destroy it from the inside out. It may be impervious on the inside, but maybe we could destroy it from the inside."

Both T'ra Saa and Yoda, deep in thought, contemplated the plan for a couple moments. It was risky, anything could go wrong. They could lose themselves in the Force, they could completely sever themselves from their body, they could destroy the trapped souls...

"I think it's our best and only plan." T'ra said after a while, albeit slowly. It was with reluctance that she agreed to such a risky plan. All Yoda did was nod in agreement.

Fay gave a small smile, "Then we have our plan. We should rest for the night, so we have enough energy for our task. Come Yoda, I can set up a tent for you."

The three of the oldest Jedi in the galaxy had a rough sleep that night, for they knew that the next day would be draining and tough.

* * *

The sun was setting on Naboo, it resided just below the mountains, bathing the countryside in a beautiful orange glow. The War Council had concluded, and Padme led the Jedi to second floor of the house, giving them each a room. Each one thanked the former queen, before going about their own business. Ahsoka entered her own room, shedding her white robes in favor of a simple white tunic. After making herself comfortable, she immediately sought out Anakin's room.

Ahsoka knocked softly, calling out, "Anakin, are you in there?"

Frantic shuffling and hushed whispers came from inside before Anakin's voice responded, "Come in!"

Ahsoka turned the handle, pushing open the door. There, in the middle of the room, Padme and Anakin stood. Ahsoka crossed her arms, leaned against the door frame, and cocked her head.

"We can catch up at a later time." Padme whispered to Anakin, before walking away from him. Padme gave Ahsoka a smile and nod as she left the room.

"So," Anakin started, "What did you need?"

"Just wanted to catch up with my old master." Ahsoka told him, smirking slightly.

"It hasn't been that long since we've seen each other." Anakin responded, grabbing his lightsaber off the nightstand next to the bed. He headed to the bathroom.

"It's been years, Skyguy." Ahsoka said dryly, staring at the bathroom where he disappeared.

Anakin poked his head out, giving her a bashful smile before disappearing inside the bathroom again. He finally came out with a towel in hand, sitting on the edge of the bed.

Noticing her questioning glance at the towel, Anakin answered her unsaid question, "I need to clean my lightsaber. It's been a while."

Ahsoka hummed, and the two fell into a silence with Anakin polishing his lightsaber and Ahsoka watching him.

"I don't think you came here just to catch up, Ahsoka. You were my padawan, once upon a time, and I know you. So, spill." Anakin said, looking up at her, still polishing the lightsaber.

Ahsoka threw her hands up, "Fine, you caught me." She joined Anakin on the edge of the bed, sitting next to him, "I wanted to ask you about Padme." Anakin stopped what he was doing, his brows furrowing in confusion. Ahsoka continued, "I saw the way you two looked each other. I just wanted to know if there was something more."

"We've been close friends for a long time, Ahsoka. I've missed her." Anakin dismissed her, turning his attention back to the lightsaber.

Ahsoka frowned, "Do you remember what you told me the day I left the Jedi Order? 'I understand wanting to walk away from the Order.' That was about Padme, wasn't it?"

Anakin stiffened, and time seemed to stop for a moment. Anakin didn't answer, but Ahsoka wouldn't budge.

"You're in love with her." Ahsoka said. It wasn't a question, but a statement. Her suspicions were correct.

Anakin shook his head, tossing his lightsaber and the towel on the bed, "You don't get to do this, Ahsoka."

"'Do this?'" Ahsoka questioned, standing up, "Anakin, how long has this been going on?"

"You don't get to do this!" Anakin screamed. Ahsoka flinched back, instinctively. Her mind flashed back to her future self, and her battle with the would-be monster that was Darth Vader. Chills ran down her spine. Never had she seen her master so angry, and never had she been the recipient of that anger. An enraged Anakin continued, "You left, Ahsoka. You left the Jedi Order, then you came back and become this savior. Then, when everything went to hell, you disappeared again, going on mission after mission. Have you once considered what that did to me? You failed me when you left the Jedi Order that day, Ahsoka. But you not only failed me, you hurt me."

Ahsoka looked at him incredulously, and said, "Are you kidding me, Anakin? How dare you make my situation about you! I was on the run, cast out by the only family I had ever known, and you are upset because I left the Jedi Order and became a "failure?" How dare you."

Anakin crossed his arms, remaining stubborn and steadfast. His demeanor was hard and steely. Ahsoka scoffed and turned on her heel to leave the room. Stopping at the door, she said over her shoulder, "Ten years ago, Padme was pregnant. The baby is yours, isn't it?"

The silence was answer enough, and she left the room without another word.


	8. Chapter 8

The countryside was bathed in the soft morning glow. The birds tweeted and bugs chirped; it was peaceful. So, so peaceful. He wouldn't last for long, as the heavy knowledge of what was to happen later that day weighed heavy on Anakin. He, in desperation for alone time with Padmé, had slipped her a note the night before to meet him on the terrace at sunrise. The very same terrace they married years before.

Anakin leaned against the stone railing that encircled the terrace, looking around the area. It was bathed in the morning light, not unlike it was the day they wedded. The trees above provided a beautiful canopy, and it was one of the reasons why Padmé was so insistent on being wed here. Just the sight of the of it brought a smile to his face.

"Ani," Padmé's melodic voice rang out, breaking him out of his thoughts. She stood at the door that lead into the house. She was already dressed in battle gear; she donned a simple, brown long-sleeved shirt and pants with black combat boots. She had a maroon sleeveless vest on as well, reminiscent to that of the Naboo guard, and gloves that reached up to her elbow. Dangling from her utility belt was her personal blaster, the same one she kept with her at all times. Her hair was kept in a tight ponytail that flowed down her back, a hairstyle she seemed to don all the time now. She walked over to Anakin, looking up to him as he put his hands on her waist and pulling her close, "Hello, my love."

Anakin smiled, leaning down to peck her lips, mumbling against her lips, "It's been too long."

"We've both been busy. You, with the Jedi, and I, organizing a galaxy-wide rebellion." Padmé responded, pulling away.

Anakin shook his head softly, muttering, "No excuse."

Padmé chuckled, placing her head against his chest, the beat of Anakin's heart lulling her.

"How are Luke and Leia?" Anakin asked, "It's been months since I've seen a holovid, and even longer since I've seen them in person."

"They're good. They're growing up faster and faster everyday. Mon agreed to watch them on Yavin 4 while I'm here on Naboo. Dormé and Moteé are also there with them." his wife responded. She broke free from his embrace and leaned against the railing next to him. The two admired the sunrise, basking in the peace while it lasted.

"I miss them everyday." Anakin said, sadness dripping into his voice, "But the sooner this war is over, the sooner I can be with them all the time."

Padmé nodded, "Hopefully this war will come to a swift end."

No words were exchanged after that, but Anakin's mind ran wild with what happened the night before. Ahsoka and her revealing her suspicions about Padmé weighed heavy on his mind, and he feared the consequences if she went to Obi-Wan or Plo or even the Jedi Council about her findings, "I think Ahsoka knows about us." Anakin said abruptly, "Us and the twins."

Padmé looked at him curiously, "Why do you say that?"

"She confronted me last night," Anakin said, frowning, meeting his wife's gaze, "and asked about you. I tried to play it off as us being old friends, but she didn't buy it at all. We fought, and some pretty... unpleasant things were said on my part. As she left, she asked about the pregnancy and asked if I was the father, and I didn't respond."

"Well, I don't think this is a bad thing. Ahsoka is our friend, your padawan. She won't tell anyone." Padmé said, trying to bring him some relief.

Anakin sighed, looking away, "I don't know about that. Her and I haven't been close ever since she left the Jedi Order. Ever since Palpatine's identity was uncovered, she's on mission after mission. The few times I would see her in between her missions, it would be for moments at most. It seemed like she was avoiding me."

"Oh, Anakin, I doubt that. She loves you," Padmé soothed him, rubbing his shoulder.

Anakin shook his head, "You don't understand. She hurt me. I believed in her, I stood by her. Then she just left. The Council failed her, and she failed me. Then she comes back and saves the Order because she received a vision from the Force itself and barely talked to me years afterwards. It hurts, Padmé. I loved her."

Padmé grasped his shoulders, making him look at her in the face. She had a stern look on her face, but her eyes held sympathy as she spoke, "Ahsoka did not fail you, and we both know that. You made her into an amazing Jedi and an even better person, and she made you into a better person than you would be otherwise. What happened to her... It should've never happened. From the very few times I talked to her after she made the decision to leave the Order, I knew it was the hardest decision she ever had to make. She had to leave her family, she had to leave you, and she had to leave Obi-Wan to try and find her own purpose, her own path. It hurt her too. You shouldn't minimize your own pain because you were hurt by her leaving, but you cannot blame her for leaving.

"As for her not speaking to you much, I can't speak on. But I'm sure she has her reasons. Ani, why don't you talk to her. Maybe not right now, give her and yourself some time to cool off, but after this battle, you should."

Anakin nodded, "I will. Now," he wrapped his arm around Padmé's waist, pulling her closer than before, "Let's just enjoy this moment, I doubt we'll get another one anytime soon."

* * *

The time had come.

In the courtyard, Padmé stood on the steps of Varykino, flanked by Sabé on the right and the Jedi taskforce on the left. Ahsoka made it a point to stay as far away from Anakin as she could, standing next to Aayla and Obi-Wan. Below them, on the ground, was the entire Rebel force on Naboo, consisting from Nabooians to Gungans to Rebels hailing from other planets that came to Naboo's aid.

"Rebels, soldiers," Padmé started, looking around at the dozens of soldiers. Ahsoka noticed that the woman seemed right in her element; she, of course, has been a politician for most of her adult life, "My friends. Today is the day the Imperial regime on Naboo is wiped out and sent fleeing back to their dictator of an Emperor. It will be a long and difficult day for all of us, and not all of us will survive it. But what you all are doing, fighting for the freedom of this planet and all of its people, is truly a noble cause, one that I will always be indebted to you for. The least I can do is thank you. Thank you for fighting for the freedom of not just my planet, but every planet in this galaxy that is suffering under the evil tyranny of Palpatine. For the Rebel Alliance, for freedom... For hope!"

Cheers and whoops erupted from the crowd. The Jedi taskforce smiled and politely clapped, and Sabé cheered along with the crowd, all impressed by the woman's ability to woo and inspire anybody and everybody. Padmé stepped down as Sabé stepped up, barking out orders to soldiers to get in their respective squadrons and to prepare to move out. 

"Bravo Squadron, you're assigned to Otoh Gunga with Master Fisto. The Gungan army will meet you at Lake Paonga. Head to the south entrance and await your Jedi commander to arrive!" Sabé barked, peering down at the group of eight. The squadron was made up of entirely humans, with four females and four males.

"Alpha Squadron, you're assigned to Masters Secura and Tano. East entrance, now." Sabé continued. The squadron, more diverse than Bravo Squadron with a few Pantorans, a Wookie, and Twi'leks, headed over to the east entrance.

"Now the rest of you. The rest of you are with General Amidala, myself, and Masters Kenobi, Skywalker, and Koon. Be ready to move out!" the right hand woman ordered, stepping down off the steps to talk to Padmé.

"Well, I suppose this is where we go our separate ways." Obi-Wan muttered, turning to face his fellow Jedi. All of the Jedi wore light, simple tunics ranging from black (Anakin) to a very light tan (Obi-Wan), making sure to maximize versatility and movability if the situation calls for it. Aayla and Ahsoka were the only exceptions. Aayla wore black skin-tight pants and a top that protected her breasts and covered the entire length of her left arm, but left her toned midsection and right arm exposed. She donned a head wrap that circled around the cones on the side her of head and her lekkus, giving them some protection. Ahsoka donned light grey gear, with tan oval-shaped pieces on the front and side of her hips. There was another additional protection that covered her chest. Light grey gloves covered both arms, all the way up to her shoulders. 

"The Jedi's first war in ten years." Kit added somberly, "I did not miss this."

"Unfortunately, this is what we are called to do. We are keepers of the peace, and sometimes that requires us to fight for what is right." Ahsoka affirmed, "So let us do this, for this is required of us. For the people of Naboo, and for the people of the galaxy."

"You've come such a long way, little 'Soka." Plo said to her, and she could feel the pride in his words. Obi-Wan nodded as well, smiling with pride.

Ahsoka spared them a grateful smile.

"Well, we must be on our way then. Stay alive, all of you. I'm gonna need a drink after this whole ordeal, and I'm looking forward to sharing one with all of you." Aayla said, smirking.

"Can we be included as well?" Sabé's voice rang out, the smirk in her voice apparent. The Jedi turned to face the woman as she walked over with Padmé by her side.

"Of course you can, miladies." Obi-Wan, being the ever-so gentleman that he was, responded.

"After all this is done, I look forward to getting a drink. I need it." Padmé groaned.

"I couldn't agree more." Plo sounded, his voice being deepened by his oxygen mask.

"Mistress Amidala, are you ready to go?" a Twi'lek soldier called from behind her.

She glanced behind her, then at Sabé and the Jedi, and nodded, "Yes, I believe so. May the Force be with you, Master Jedi, we're gonna need it."

Sparing once last glance at her fellow Jedi and specifically Anakin, Ahsoka went off to meet up with her squadron with Aayla in tow.

* * *

The trio of elder Jedi sat around the cocoon, forming a triangle. Yoda had no more contact with Hoth or any of the spirits that were trapped in the cocoon, but he could feel their presence within the cocoon, swirling around in a never-ending torment.

"Are you ready?" Fay asked, glancing at her friend and former padawan. 

Receiving nods, she continued, "We must go deep into meditation and connect with each other. If we don't, we risk losing each other in the cocoon or even in the Force Itself."

"Know the dangers, we do." Yoda affirmed.

With pursed lips, she nodded and closed her eyes, signalling the beginning of the ritual. T'ra Saa and Yoda followed suit. Yoda felt his consciousness drift away from his body, and he could sense the overwhelming presence of the cocoon, emitting wave after wave of pure dark energy. It was suffocating. Focusing harder, he soon felt the presence of both T'ra Saa and Fay. He quickly reached out to T'ra first, tethering himself to her. Once tethered, he reached out to Fay and tethered to her.

 _"Well, that was easy enough."_ T'ra said telepathically to him and Fay. 

_"Yes, but that was the easy part."_ Fay said grimly, _"We must find a way to free the souls."_

 _"Enter, we must."_ Yoda said, and together, the trio of Jedi focused on the beacon of Dark Side energy that was thought bomb that imprisoned the souls of the Army of Light and the Brotherhood of Darkness.


	9. Chapter 9

The thought bomb was intense. Waves of Dark Side energy bombarded them as the ventured through, making it all the more harder to traverse it. Dark red and black root-like tendrils were everywhere, tangling with each other and never-ending, and a hazy blood red fog surrounded them. It was no wonder none of the souls are able to escape, the tangle of tendrils made it near-impossible to pass.

" _Damn this maze._ " Fay cursed, jumping off one tendril onto another above her.

" _They certainly didn't make it easy for us._ " T'ra commented, jumping beside Fay, " _It would be easier if we could've taken our lightsabers with us._ "

Fay nodded in agreement before squeezing through two tendrils, grunting as she pushed herself through.

" _To the souls, closer and closer, we get._ " Yoda shouted from below. He sat on the middle of a tendril, looking up at the two women. His small stature made it easier for him to navigate the tight spaces.

" _Careful, don't stray too far,_ " Fay called out in warning, " _We don't know what this haze is, or if we'll be able to find each other if one of us gets lost._ "

Yoda used the Force to propel himself upward, dodging any tendrils in his way and landing next to T'ra and Fay. The three Jedi ventured forward together, careful not to stray too far due to the fog thickening the further they traversed.

" _How do we know we're going the right way?_ " T'ra asked, stopping.

Yoda stopped as well, and looked up at her, asking, " _Feel it, do you?_ " He pointed into the fog.

" _The further we go, the more intense the Dark Side gets._ " Fay said, looking to where Yoda pointed before looking back at Yoda and T'ra, " _We're going the right way._ "

The trio traveled again, weaving in and out of tendrils. As they traveled, a bright light illuminated through the fog. Noticing it immediately, Yoda and his two companions immediately headed for it.

They finally escaped from the maze of tendrils and into a large oval-shaped opening. Wisps of blueish white mindlessly floated throughout the hollowed-out room, and in the middle of the space was a floating, luminescent sphere.

" _This is it._ " T'ra muttered.

" _That sphere right there,_ " Fay pointed towards it, " _That's what's keeping the souls trapped here._ "

" _It's pull, feel it, I do._ " Yoda added, head tilting in curiosity as a wisp floated by him. Inside, the ghostly face of a human man screamed silently, seeming to be in agonizing pain. Yoda took a step back, recoiling slightly, " _In pain, these souls are._ "

Fay grimaced, " _I can feel their turmoil. Intense, unbearable..._ " she trailed off, shaking her head, her flowing blonde hair shaking with the movement.

" _How are we going to reach the core?_ " asked the Neti, frowning, " _It's levitating in the middle of this space._ "

" _Pull it, we can, with use of the Force._ " Yoda suggested.

Fay shook her head, " _Even if we could, we would have no way of destroying it."_

" _What if we use the thought bomb against itself?_ " T'ra said, garnering intrigued looks from Fay and Yoda. Seeing their looks, she elaborated, " _We could use the tendrils to destroy the core._ "

" _Work, that could._ " Yoda muttered, stroking his chin in thought.

" _Then let's try it._ " Fay concluded. She turned towards the wall of tangled tendrils, and held out her hands, gathering the Force around around one of them. The tendril started to move, slowly untangling itself from the others. Yoda and T'ra Saa followed her lead, finding tendrils of their own and untangling them from the rest. Fay was the first to finish, and she extended it forward, wrapping it around the core. Yoda and T'ra wrapped their own tendrils around it, and used the Force to pull as hard as they could. A loud, ear-piercing shriek echoed throughout the cavern as the core was strangled, making the Jedi wince. Soon enough, the luminescent sphere's glow faded away, and the Jedi felt the intensiveness of the Dark Side weaken significantly. The three Jedi let go of the tendrils, letting them fall to the ground with the sphere. The bluish white wisps no longer looked lifeless or tormented; they sped around the room, bouncing off of the walls, off of each other.

" _Did it, we did._ " Yoda smiled, panting slightly, his voice thick with exhaustion. He was not like his former master or T'ra Saa, his age was catching up to him.

T'ra shook her head, speaking grimly, " _These souls we're freed from their cells, but not from their prison._ "

Yoda, mouth slightly agape and eyes wide, looked beyond, and the sudden realization of her words hit him. She was right, even with their eternal torment ended, they were still trapped, doomed to live in a prison forever.

Fay looked downcast and shook her head, somber and mournful.

" _Dammit._ " the woman muttered, her voice trembling. Whether it was with sadness or anger, Yoda could not tell.

" _Dammit!_ " Fay cursed again, this time much louder, and turned to them, continuing, " _There's gotta be away to free them. The Force would not lead us here to merely watch these people suffer!_ "

" _This thought bomb is impervious on the outside. Who's to say it isn't on the inside as well._ " T'ra said slowly, running a hand through her "hair."

" _Works in mysterious ways, the Force does. Know Its intentions, we may never._ " He rumbled, closing his eyes slowly in resignation.

" _I thought I taught you better, my very young apprentice._ " Fay snapped, training her eyes on him. He looked at her, and instead of the calm demeanor he was used to, he instead found anger, " _Resigning themselves when the mantle of general was thrusted upon them, resigning themselves to fight in a war they had no business fighting in, resigning themselves as slaves to a corrupt Republic. Resignation is what led the Jedi to their near extinction. The Force works through us, It guides us. We follow Its will. But we also have freewill, and we may misconstrue the Force's real intent for something else. It did not lead us here for us to give up when all hope seems lost. I question how much hubris and resignation has really clouded your mind._ "

Yoda frowned, but defiantly stood his ground. Fay, too, stood her ground, and eventually, Yoda sighed, looking away in defeat.

Fay straightened up, turning to T'ra, " _Do you have any ideas?_ "

" _What if all three of us combined our power to create a hole in the thought bomb?_ " T'ra responded, her mouth forming a thin line as she thought.

" _Like a massive Force push?_ " Fay asked, brows furrowing.

The dark-skinned woman responded with a nod, a smile growing on her lips, " _It might be enough to blast a hole, creating an escape for the souls._ "

" _Work, that might._ " Yoda uttered softly, looking up Saa.

T'ra ushered Fay and Yoda down the root they were standing on. She eventually stopped when the tendril curved inward, tangling itself in the rest of the tendrils.

" _We all need to combine our abilities. Yoda, stand up here._ " she commanded, patting a section of tendril that was about the height of both Fay and T'ra's chests. He complied, climbing up to the tendril.

" _Now, we must extend our hands, channeling our energy together._ " Fay continues, holding out her hands.

" _Do you really know how to do this, or are you just making this up as you go along?_ " Fay asked, quirking an eyebrow. T'ra gives her a smirk, answering, " _If it works, I knew what I was doing all along. If it doesn't, then I hadn't a clue._ " Fay shakes her head, smiling as well.

Yoda and Fay both unite their hands with T'ra's in the middle, and the three began channeling the Force into their hands. Sparse wisps of blue starting swirling around above their hands, a materialization of the pure Force power they were producing. They intensified, growing in number until it looked like a sphere of various hues of blue. The power resonated throughout the space, Light Side enveloped by the Dark Side, a candle in the dark. 

" _It's working!_ " Fay exclaimed, smiling.

" _Now_!" T'ra shouted, and together with Fay, they stepped to the side. Yoda, Fay, and T'ra all pushed out their arms, sending the sphere of Force energy whirling towards the wall of the thought bomb. It collided with the wall of tendrils, and in an instant, the wall was blown apart, a pure, white light now pouring in. The souls all swarmed to the newly made light and entered it, finally escaping from their prison.

" _Did it, we did._ " Yoda said happily, but tiredly, gazing at the beautiful sight.

" _Indeed, we did._ " Fay parroted, she too gazing at the sight.

" _Our job here is done,_ " T'ra said, turning to her Yoda and Fay with a small smile, " _I think it'd be nicer if we celebrated in our own bodies._ "

Fay nods, and the her figure slowly fades away, her consciousness returning to her body in the caverns. T'ra did the same, and Yoda followed, his essence transporting from the inside of the now empty thought bomb to his own body. The sight of the empty cave returned, along with the two other Jedi and the noticeably missing thought bomb.

Yoda slowly rose to his feet, staggering slightly. Transferring his essence into the thought bomb took a lot out of him. He was nearing 900 years old, and while he could still fight if necessary, he had to use the Force to sustain him, keeping him agile and energized. Once he could not sustain himself anymore, he had to return to a state of exhaustion and feebleness. It was not ideal, but alas, it was the reality of aging.

As he regained his footing, he looked around and saw Fay already making her way out of the cavern. She stopped, calling out from over her shoulder, "I need some fresh air," before walking into the tunnel, her ignited lightsaber in her hand to light the way.

Yoda turned to T'ra, the green-tinted woman was already standing, looking down at him, "Shall we make our way to the surface, then?"

Yoda nodded, the two igniting their lightsabers, and side-by-side, they started to make their way through the cave system. As he walked, the difference in the Force was evident. No longer was the area a maelstrom in the Force, it was no peaceful and light, like the rest of the planet.

"The situation got a little tense inside the thought bomb." T'ra said slowly, glancing down at him, her face lit with a golden hue from her lightsaber.

"Indeed." Yoda agreed, "Disagreed with my statement, my former master did."

"She was right, Yoda." T'ra pointed out, "Hubris and resignation is part of the reason why the Jedi Order is where it is today."

Yoda hummed slowly, before letting out a simple "perhaps."

"It's one thing to recognize the role hubris has played in the downfall of the Jedi, my old master, but it's another thing to actively change the pattern of hubris that has been so ingrained in our way of life." T'ra said to him, her eyes studying him.

His gait stalled for a second as he processed her words, before continuing again. With a sigh, Yoda responded, glancing up towards her, "Grown stagnant, the Jedi did. Stagnant, arrogant, complacent, riddled with hubris, all things, we had become. Right, Fay was."

"No, Fay was not right, but she wasn't wrong." T'ra started, "Missteps were taken, due to hubris and stagnancy and many other things, but the Jedi were put in an impossible situation from the beginning, and we took the only route available to us. Ultimately, we were doomed because of our association with the Republic and with the Senate. We were the servants of the Senate, seen as existing purely to do their corrupt bidding. What should we have done? Leave Coruscant? We were at the heart of the Republic, we were synonymous with it, so fear and mistrust of us would have only grown even more. People fear what they do not understand, and the public's distrust of us started even before our downfall. Should we have disassociated ourselves from the Republic? No, because we would have been helpless to aid anyone, especially with a war raging on. Should we have refused to participate in the war? Impossible, we would have been crucified by the mass public, and we couldn't just let innocents suffer and die while we stand back. Palpatine had a counter-move for everything; he made sure we could not escape the plan he had for us unscathed. Missteps were taken, yes, but there were no other options."

Yoda eyes were downcast. The truth in her words were like a slap in the face. He had led the Jedi Order to this. He should have seen it, he should have _stopped_ it. With a shake of his head, he said, "Many nights, there were, where the Council, contemplated our purpose. Some felt we had strayed from our purpose, some felt we were fine. Considered everything, we did. Try our best, we did."

"Try?" T'ra questioned, brows raised in confusion, "What happened to 'Do or do not, there is no try'?"

"Been shown to be wrong, many times, have I, these past few years." Yoda responded simply. Silence had enveloped them for moments, before Yoda started chuckling softly, gaining the attention of T'ra.

"Master Yoda?" the Neti asked, worried.

"Sorry, sorry, I am," Yoda apologized over chuckles, "Remind me, you do, of my old padawan."

It didn't take a genius to figure out which one of his padawans he meant. T'ra's worry disappeared, being replaced with sadness, "Of Qui-Gon."

Yoda nodded, and the chuckles faded away, "Of Qui-Gon." he affirmed with a nod, sadness dripping in his voice.

"You and him always had a special relationship." she commented, "So different in views, but you both complimented each other in a way nobody else could. I miss him too."

"Hold those same views, he did. Told me once, he did, that 'Violence sows the seeds of the Dark Side. Unchecked, the Jedi could become that which we fight against.' The truth to those words, I did not realize then, but now... Realize, I do now." Yoda said, melancholic and regretful.

"He was wiser than anybody gave him credit for." T'ra said, and she too, was filled with melancholy. 

Former master and apprentice spent the rest of the trek to the surface in silence, both filled with the remembrance of a man who died before his time, and a man who, if he lived, could've changed everything.


End file.
